Donors not warming to saving city fire pits

I'm not so great with predictions, but I'm going to make one here: San Diego's fire pits are toast.

The city needs $173,000 in donations by Dec. 15 to ensure the fire pits'upkeep is included in next year's budget. If it doesn't get it, the pits will be dug up next July.

So far, the city is falling a wee bit short.

It's gotten $220, meaning only $178,780 to go.

That means buy your marshmallows now and get thee to a fire pit. Fast.

$220?

I bet I could go stand on a corner with a placard saying – “Save the Pits” – and do better.

The city has been trying to rustle up donations through something called the Fire Pit Program for months. Recently, it announced it's accepting donations by credit card.

But something is obviously not working. Either people are broke, don't care or don't know about the program.

Or maybe what the city is asking for is unrealistic. That kind of money is tough to raise through donations unless you're Jerry Lewis.

The pits almost went up in smoke last year, when Mayor Jerry Sanders said they'd need to go because of a budget shortfall of $43 million.

But an anonymous donor came up with $259,500 in December to keep them going for 18 months.

Maybe that person moved, got hit hard by the recession or bet the Chargers against the Steelers because that well apparently has gone dry. (Still, thank you, you kind fire-ring funder.) My guess is that Sanders won't go out of his way to save the city's 186 pits if the money isn't raised privately. He had them on the block last year after all.

So good luck getting his sympathy. Plus, he can now just blame us for not ponying up.

That's leadership. (And that's sarcasm.) The fire pits are one of those rare, cool things that set us apart from just about every other U.S. city. On a recent night, I checked some out and they were blazing. Families and friends huddled around them.

The fire ringers said they had no idea the pits are threatened, or that the city was trying to raise money to keep them going.

Most said they'd willing donate some money, though nobody was willing to fork over next month's rent or mortgage.

Who can blame them?

Jerry Santoro, 37, who was at a fire pit on Fiesta Island with his wifeAlex, 33, and son Jerry, who is 2, said he'd be glad to donate $10.

“I'd give $10,” echoed John Kazmarek, 54, who was at another Fiesta Island fire pit. He didn't know about the fire pit shortfall either. “Summer would be a little bit empty without them.”

Well, that's $20. OK, we're getting there.

A group called Save the San Diego Fire Pits thinks it'll be hard to raise this kind of money, particularly because it's not a one-time deal. It has to be raised every year.

“Personally, I am concerned about setting up the fire pits as a donation-supported beach amenity,” said Hans Baumgartner, a member of the group. “It feels similar to raising money to keep trash cans or bathrooms on the beach.”

How much of San Diego's skinny budget is needed to clean the fire pits? Try 0.014% of the $1.2 billion general fund. But city brass says cuts have to come from everywhere, because San Diego is facing a $60 million shortfall next year.

Save the Fire Pits found some trade groups interested in sponsorships, but they balked at the city's price tag to do the maintenance, said Baumgartner, who lives in University Heights.

The city says it takes two workers using a dump truck and front-loader to clean the pits, and it costs $173,000 a year.

Others question the cost. But they also want the pits saved.

“Even though I think that number is ridiculous, I'd donate,” said Paul Rope, 44, of Rancho San Diego, who was at an Ocean Beach fire pit this past week. He said he goes once a year with his family.

While his wife Barbara said she thinks that “government can always cut back” in other areas to preserve the fire pits, she said she'd be willing to donate, too.

Some of my new fire-ring friends questioned why the city hasn't been promoting the fund more aggressively. Oh, it's trying, said Jennifer Wolff, of the city's Philanthropy Center, which is running the program.

It hits up the media for coverage and is reaching out to beach organizations for help. It plans to post notices at lifeguard towers.

“I'm optimistic,” Wolff said.

I'm not. But I'll gladly put the word out there for the fire pits, too. And, what the heck, I love the pits, so put me down for $20, which I can get back if the city falls short.